Library of Birmingham tops out

The new Library of Birmingham has reached its highest point, with a topping out ceremony held on 14 September at the building site in Centenary Square.

The ceremony marks the completion of the main structure of what is set to be the largest public library in the country when it opens in 2013.

A new landmark

The library has been designed by the Dutch architects Mecanoo, who won an international design competition in 2008 after a shortlist of seven practices was chosen from more than 100 entries. Plans were revealed to the public in April 2009, and building work, carried out by Carillion, began in January 2010.

The building is being constructed on the site of a former car park between the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Baskerville House, and will share some facilities with the theatre, including a new studio theatre.

What it will contain

When it opens, the library will house the city's lending and reference libraries, its archives and its world-famous collections, including one of the most important Shakespeare collections in the world and the papers of Matthew Boulton and James Watt.

The building will have a striking facade of interlocking metal rings, inspired by the city's history of metalworking and jewellery making, and roof gardens with views across the city.

Replacing the Central Library

The new building will replace the Central Library at Paradise Circus, designed by John Madin and opened in 1974. The council says the old building is no longer fit for purpose, and it was granted a certificate of immunity from listing earlier this year, clearing the way for it to be demolished once the new library opens.

Supporters of the old library have campaigned for it to be saved, describing it as a masterpiece of brutalist architecture.

Praise for the design

The plans for the new library have been widely praised. When they were unveiled, the then Poet Laureate Andrew Motion described them as "properly ambitious", and the author Philip Pullman said the library should attract even more users than the old one.

A big investment

The library is one of the most expensive public buildings in the city's history, with an estimated cost of around £189 million. The council says it will be a flagship for the city's regeneration and a major cultural attraction, drawing visitors from across the country.

Critics have questioned whether the council can afford it at a time of deep cuts to public spending.

Two years to go

Work will now move on to the facade and the fitting out of the interior, with the library due to open in 2013. For people passing through Centenary Square, the shape of the new landmark is now clear to see.